ICE Seattle arrests 4 illegal immigrants with convictions or charges related to sexual assault

Pedro Garcia-Lopez, 47, a Mexican citizen, was arrested Jan. 30 in Yakima, Washington. He has been charged with theft, lewd acts with a child under 14, and sexual battery.

That same day, Rubi Jeronimo Cruz, 22, a citizen of Guatemala was arrested in Lynden, Washington, convicted of DUI with reckless driving, and charged with rape of a child.

Manuel De Jesus Zavala-Martinez, 40, a citizen of El Salvador, was arrested on Jan. 29 in Centralia, Washington, with several criminal convictions, including assault with sexual motivation and assault with a deadly weapon.

Jaspal Singh, 29, a citizen of India, was also arrested on Jan. 29 in Tukwila, Washington, and is charged with assault with sexual motivation.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle Field Office Director Drew H. Bostock said in a statement, “Protecting our communities and preventing further victimization is of paramount importance to ICE throughout the Pacific Northwest. These arrests reinforce the message that the presence of illegal criminal threats will not be tolerated.” All four individuals will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Efforts by Federal law enforcement to round up illegal immigrants with criminal charges have ramped up in Washington, which is a sanctuary state, since the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

On Saturday, the DEA and the Department of Justice assisted the Department of Homeland Security and ERO Seattle in apprehending an unnamed illegal immigrant who is a rape suspect.

Blaine Border Patrol Agents also assisted ICE in arresting Rubi Jeronimo-Cruz. He is currently being processed for deportation proceedings.

That same day, Blaine Border Patrol Agents assisted ICE in arresting Miguel Tomas-Antonio in Bellingham, WA. Tomas, a previously deported Guatemalan citizen, has a criminal history of assault, domestic violence, and harassment.

Last week, Blaine Border Patrol Agents and HSI assisted ICE ERO in arresting Javier Morales-Zamora in Mt. Vernon, WA, a Mexican citizen who illegally entered the US, and had been previously arrested for DUI, resisting arrest, battery, and obstructing an officer.

They also arrested Abraham Avila-Roman in Bellingham, WA, a Mexican citizen illegally in the US who has been deported multiple times since 2016, and has been previously arrested for DUI, hit and run, drug possession, and eluding police.

Agents also arrested Adan Tapia-Romero in Mount Vernon, WA, a Mexican citizen who was illegally in the US and was arrested in 2006 for narcotics distribution and in 2021 for assault.